Kawhi Is BACK in Toronto… Are the Raptors Actually Contenders?

Welcome to Dummiez on Da Hardwood! We talk NBA news, trades, free agency, playoffs, the draft, hot takes, and everything happening around the league. 👇 Subscribe for new NBA content every week. 🎙️ Hosts: Bobby Bennie Issac 📱 Follow us: Instagram: dondahardwood TikTok: dondahardwood X: dondahardwood Facebook: Dummiez on Da Hardwood 🤝 Interested in sponsoring Dummiez on Da Hardwood? Contact: bobby@dondahardwood.info #NBA #Basketball #nbapodcast The Toronto Raptors brought Kawhi Leonard back, but this gamble looks a lot different than the one that delivered a championship in 2019. We break down whether this is now Kawhi’s team or Scottie Barnes’ team, whether Kawhi can relieve pressure without stunting Scottie’s growth, how RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley fit, and whether Toronto has enough defense, shooting, and health to become a real Eastern Conference contender. We also debate whether Miami has a better defense, how much Toronto’s three-point shooting could hold them back, whether the trade is a failure if the Raptors miss the playoffs, and where they actually belong in the East. Then we close it out with Contenders or Pretenders, our Eastern Conference rankings, and three rounds of One Gotta Go. 🍻 Big love to Santa Barbara Brewhouse for keeping the Dummiez fueled while Toronto swings big on Kawhi one more time. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro, Shoutouts & Santa Barbara Brewhouse 1:48 Raptors-Clippers Trade Details 2:26 Is This Kawhi Gamble Different From 2018? 3:50 Is This Kawhi’s Team or Scottie Barnes’ Team? 5:02 Can Kawhi Help Scottie Without Stunting His Growth? 7:12 Do RJ Barrett & Immanuel Quickley Fit in Toronto? 9:22 Does Toronto Have a Championship-Level Defense? 11:37 Does Miami Have a Better Defense Than Toronto? 13:40 Toronto’s Three-Point Shooting Problem 15:25 Kawhi’s Health: Is the Trade a Failure Without the Playoffs? 17:33 Are the Raptors Actually Contenders? 20:11 Our Eastern Conference Rankings Get Questionable 27:22 What Moves Would Make Kawhi & Scottie Real Contenders? 28:51 Raptors: Contenders or Pretenders? 30:46 Santa Barbara Brewhouse Shoutout 31:24 One Gotta Go: Most Annoying NBA Fans 33:56 One Gotta Go: NBA Celebrations 35:59 One Gotta Go: Things Every Hooper Hates 37:29 Outro #TorontoRaptors #KawhiLeonard #ScottieBarnes #RJBarrett #ImmanuelQuickley #NBA #EasternConference #NBATalk #Basketball #DummiezOnDaHardwood